What to Make of Virginia Tech Basketball, So Far

The high flying Hokies have enjoyed a successful season thus far. Entering Tuesday’s game against UVA tied with program best 13-1 with their only loss coming in a 63-62 at Penn State. Tech also boasts the fourth ranked scoring defense in the NCAA, second in the ACC behind rival UVA. For a team that typically performs poorly on the ACC scale let alone the national scale it’s worth the time to delve into what has propelled Virginia Tech into the top 10.

Head Coaching

Buzz Williams has had a history of turning around programs. He started his head coaching career at Marquette in 2008, and spent the next couple of years coaching future Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler and in 2012 and 2013 coached the Golden Eagles to back to back Big East Championships. It was in 2014 when Buzz came to Virginia tech and since then has turned the Hokies from a perennial loser into a team with three straight 20 win seasons with a fourth straight incredibly likely. While the ACC is a different beast than the Big East, Buzz Williams has led Virginia Tech to upset wins over Duke, UNC and UVA, historical powerhouses of the conference in each of the past two seasons.

This dynamic sophomore is currently experiencing a career year. The star guard out of Toronto is currently ranked fifth in the ACC in points-per-game with 17.8 and tied second in steals, averaging 2.2 a game. This dangerous combination of defense and offensive prowess has put him in the top 25 contenders for the Wooden award, given to the best player in NCAA Men’s Basketball. Look for him to continue to lead Virginia Tech to success as they enter the heart of their ACC schedule.

Justin Robinson

This senior guard out of Manassas, VA has been a key player for the Hokies for years now. Last season, Robinson averaged 14 ppg and 5.6 assists per game. He was named to the 2017-2018 all-ACC second Team, ahead of first round pick Grayson Allen who was selected for the third team. So far this season, Robinson finds himself second in the ACC in assists per game with 5.8, only .1 assists per game behind ACC-Leader Tre Jones of Duke. His past success landed him on the pre-season watch list for the Bob Cousy award, which goes to the top point guard in NCAA basketball at the end of the season. His performances so far have not only kept his name in the running for the award, but has also kept Virginia Tech in the running for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia Tech continues ACC play tuesday travelling to fourth ranked Virginia and six days later going down to North Carolina to take on the Tar Heels. These games will be the first real tests for Tech, as Virginia boasts the best scoring defense in the country, and UNC currently sits third in the country in defensive rebounds. If anyone can shut down Robinson and Alexander-Walker, its UVA, and if Tech doesn’t sink their shots, UNC can easily run away with the victory. If they can manage to come out of the matchups with two victories, the sky’s the limit for Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball.